Science Fiction "V": What Should "V" Represent During ESPN's Annual Rerun?

According to Wikipedia, V was an American science fiction TV series running two seasons on ABC, chronicling the arrival on Earth of a technologically advanced alien species ostensibly coming in peace, but actually boasting sinister motives. According to CollegeHoopedia.com, ABC also has an annual V rerun on vaunted ESPN. The intent isn't vile but, if an observer values the whole truth, there is vast soapboxing fiction involved amid the "V" all day every day as the vindicated big man on ESPN's Jesus-free campus.

Veering off-course with velocity promoting gabby "V" - not baby "J" - as the reason for the season, the Nationwide Leader's culture violates the time-honored vow of telling the entire story in a veracious way. It's vexing as ESPN's parade of glorification pitchmen, including staffers and it-takes-a-village coaches, incessantly laud former commentator Jim Valvano by chapter and verse. If "V" sycophants could fly, the mess media highlighted by ESPN and most of the coaching community would be jets. A "Jimmy V Week" culminates with an early-season classic to enhance cancer research fundraising for a foundation named after an individual who joins John Calipari (UMass/Memphis) and Jerry Tarkanian (Long Beach State/UNLV) as the only repeat-offender coaches shackled with having multiple schools under their watch forced to vacate NCAA playoff participation. Too bad 100% of the donated plaudits don't go straight through a truth detector such as the New York Times, which detailed how ESPN received more than $250 million in state tax breaks and credits thus far this century.

Anyone with a visible pulse supports the vision of finding a cure for the vulnerable afflicted by cancer, but a classic lack-of-proper-perspective stemming from the cult-of-personality dynamic is ESPN's vivid hero worship of the vibrant Valvano. He wasn't a bloodthirsty vampire villain but there are a variety of vigorous reasons for not carrying ESPN's water supporting his canonization in the wake of vanquishing Houston to vault to the 1983 NCAA playoff title. How was his deceit that much different from another cancer celebrity such as Lance Armstrong? After Valvano ran afoul of NCAA investigators at Iona, a private attorney retained by North Carolina State volunteered he was convinced that the institution could successfully sue him for failing to ensure the academic progress of his NCSU players. The biggest scholastic question in the ACC is which school - NCSU vs. UNC - wins the battle for most egregious academic scandal in the last three decades.

At the very least, virile Valvano should have verified that standout guard Sidney Lowe took a remedial tax preparation course to help him steer clear of vice squad by vandalizing the state; especially if Lowe, twice voted All-ACC and a first-teamer with teammate Thurl Bailey in 1983, was going to become one of his head coaching successors with the Wolfpack. Additional suspect characters aligning with Valvano at NCSU included Kenny Drummond, Russell Pierre, Dinky Proctor, Charles Shackleford, Craig Tyson and Chris Washburn (of 470 SAT fame in a league where athletes previously had to reach 800 to be eligible). Did Jimmy V brag that stereo-stealer Washburn was going to "make our program"? Did V mean break rather than make? Awash in intellect, Shackleford, who admitted accepting $65,000 cash from outside influences during his final two years enrolled in college, is perhaps best known for the following quote: "Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious."

At the same time of holiday season King Herod-like ESPN vetoed a "venal" hospital ad last year celebrating Jesus before relenting, it seemingly will "never give up" a vintage and valiant voyage portraying V as the most virtuous coach in history. The sanitized version is in the network's veins akin to trying to duplicate anchorman Ron Burgundy's humor in promotional ads. Voicing opposition to this mythical narrative leaves a cynic open to vilification as being venomous. Still, the network's doctored depiction of V is as honest as POTUS and his vultures telling citizens with a "period" about retaining their current physician (ESPN previously aired ObamaCare ad passing its rigid standards); authentic as the sign language interpreter at a Nelson Mandela memorial; genuinely patriotic as lip-syncing Beyonce; real as Ray "Dancin' On Their Graves" Lewis lecturing us about NFL violence and ball-deflation ethics; genuine as claiming no behind-the-scenes negotiations occurred naming Bruce Jenner's inner woman courageous nearly 40 years after he was a gold-medal winning Olympian, or as valid as fake girlfriend of former Notre Dame All-American linebacker Manti Te'o.

Irish idealist Dick Vitale spearheads promoting the V Foundation, which has raised an impressive $130 million-plus, and his visceral reaction probably is that any dissent makes Valvano the victim of a vicious vendetta. Anything but vapid, there is no doubt vivacious Vitale means well and has his heart in the proper place serving as Valvano's valet. But as verbose Vitale is wont to do, he has a tendency to vehemently go overboard with his voluminous embellishment. Preying on emotions, a majority of the media smugly fall in line seemingly signing off on one of those phantom NCSU readmission agreements after flunking out where they make a commitment "pledging to work hard (at maintaining image) and keep a positive mental attitude."

In an affront to valuable numbers that never lie, there are times when ESPN sycophants operate in a vacuum shamelessly enhancing Valvano's credentials as a "survive-and-advance" tactician, perpetuating a falsehood he was a late-game strategical genius. You can't take a vacation from the veracity of cold hard facts having Valvano rank in the lower third of DI coaches among those with at least 150 close contests (decided by fewer than six points). Capitalizing on six opponents combining to shoot an anemic 56.8% from the free-throw line, the law of averages was with NCSU in 1983 when it became the only school to have as many as four NCAA playoff games decided by one or two points en route to a title. The Wolfpack trailed in the final minute of seven of its last nine triumphs.

People in power need to be held accountable even if a coach such as Duke's Mike Krzyzewski claims many of the "allegations were fabrications" against his ACC counterpart. "I can't breathe" holding opinion unless Coach K moonlighted as an investigator because there is no reason to be vague and treat big boys with velvet gloves. ESPN could virtually avoid any vanishing credibility in this instance by incorporating deceased Rick Majerus in the foundation equation. After all, the 24-year veteran college head coach was also a vocal ESPN analyst. Unless it detracts from the storyline, call it the V & M Foundation and add heart disease to the venture's research grants. Didn't Majerus exhibit as much, if not more, valor? Perhaps trend-setting broadcaster Stuart Scott and his battle with cancer should be included as a focal point.

A tearjerker ESPY speech notwithstanding, it's a cancer of priorities and ESPN simply sullies its reputation with insufferable verbal voodoo vouching Valvano was something he wasn't beyond a good coach who never had a season with fewer than four defeats in conference competition. Amid narcissism and extensive self-promotion, an "inspirational" story reeks of overkill because vermin among a complicit sports media are predictably unprincipled and offer the maximum tear-inducement reminiscent of a fairytale sans conveying the entire picture. Forget the vulgar academic progress of Valvano's players at N.C. State (735 average SAT score and excessive number of positive drug tests during the 1980s). No Extra Sensitive Pious Network should be an outside-the-lines enabler seemingly unaccountable while selling only a partial story. They have an obligation to visit the whole story; not vacillate and be on verge of failing their constituency in regard to vainly providing a viable role model.

As for venerable Majerus, there won't be a vicarious movie or "30 for 30" special made about his self-effacing humor, eating habits and fact none of his NCAA playoff teams with three different schools ever had to vacate NCAA play. In a stark scholastic contrast, his 1998 Utah squad provided the vanguard of Final Four achievements - only team ever to feature three Academic All-Americans among its versatile regulars. For the record, Majerus ranked among the top third of coaches in games decided by fewer than six points. But he simply doesn't fit into a contrived storyline. It would be a surprise if Utah players under Majerus took an "Understanding Music" class during Christmas vacation to help stay eligible like NCSU scholars did under Valvano.

ESPN's abundant coverage seemed to revel in cancer frontman Lance Armstrong's arrogant stumblin' and bumblin' "one big lie" rather than taking his bike-ride fall in a valley as time for self-reflection. The view from this vantage point is that defend-the-brand revisionist history is a misguided echo chamber. Amid the distortion, a final verdict persists about a greater-good higher calling. As many folks as possible should make a vintage donation to the V Foundation. Just envision V as Victory (over cancer) or as Vitale (for his long-term heavy lifting in the project).

It won't be long before name-dropping ESPN, via Out House correspondent Andy Katz apparently getting as much beer-summit face time with trustworthy POTUS as ex-HHS Secretary Kathleen "Get-In-Line" Sebelius, goes viral giving a prominent "Audacity-of-Hype" venue for Oval Office NCAA bracket selections. But the West Wing(ing) verve must absorb so much dignified time for the selfie-taking hoopster-in-chief that a Sgt. Schultz "I-know-nothing" routine emerges while chronically pleading ignorance about various less vital matters such as the Benghazi terrorist attack, IRS targeting of conservatives, Fast and Furious gun-running, healthcare exchange ineptitude, NSA spying on allies, North Korea's cyber "vandalism," Justice Department snooping on national media, etc., and then failing to attend a church service at Christmas. Meanwhile, a void in thought-police treatment makes more faith-influenced individuals nearly vomit when the network's "inn" didn't have room for the authentic Messiah's message vying for a little air time more important to many Americans than giving free political points.

Was it any surprise then that sister network A&E was equally intolerant of deeply-held religious beliefs when "be(ing) original" by suspending/marginalizing the brassy "Duck Dynasty" patriarch for his version of "Vagina Monologues"? Are you buyin' what ESPN's flock of quacks are sellin' verbatim - accepting the laughing/thinking/crying hook, line and sinker? Very odd this vociferous emphasis on V. Upon "ducking" and turning the other cheek again, it's time to say an old-fashioned: "Merry CHRISTmas, ESPN!" If this vernacular is objectionable to sensibilities of the politically-correct elite, then avoid a GQ bearded set-up with a patronizing "Happy Holidays!"

Pulitzer Prize winner Claude Sitton, a doughty local editor/columnist for the Raleigh News & Observer during Valvano's tenure, was unapologetic about the paper's coverage of the NCSU scandal. "Looking back on it, Valvano just initiated academic rape as far as basketball players were concerned," Sitton said. "But Valvano only did what (Chancellor Bruce) Poulton wanted him to do, and that was win ball games no matter how."

In a scornful column, Sitton wrote: "College sports, in short, are corrupt. The rot reaches far beyond the campus - to the kid on the corner who thinks sports opens the glory road, the high school teacher who gives a player a free pass, the TV executive who manipulates universities for profit, sportswriters who see, hear and speak no evil, and all who know that higher education has been turned into a sideshow by the commercial sports conglomerate and do nothing to end it."